What's the best nightclub in Africa? Not even DJ Edu, who scoured night spots across the continent, can say for sure. But even if he can't pick a winner, he says he saw signs of Africa's economic progress in many places he visited.

A rhino can cost a wildlife park more than $20,000 at auction — but its horn alone can be worth 10 times that much. Many parks and wildlife reserves are buying insurance to protect their investments, and that means an unusual requirement: poisoning the rhinos' horns to ward off poachers.

The number of college graduates with debt is rising quickly, and some students have had enough. A group known as the Corinthian 15 say they're going on a "debt strike," hoping to force action to cancel the debts they owe to a for-profit education company — and spur broader change.

Death is expensive. The American casket industry is a $1.5 billion business, leading some families to seek out cheaper options from China. But the Chinese haven't been able to bury the American competition.

The buzz from Geneva is that international talks there on Iran’s nuclear ambitions are approaching a deal. The deal could limit Iran’s nuclear capabilities for a decade or more, in exchange for an easing of sanctions.

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02/20/2015 - 8:15am

China's $50 billion plan for a new Central American canal connecting Atlantic and Pacific may damage the freshwater Lake Nicaragua, changing the environment for those who depend upon it. The plan faces opposition in parts of the country.

Updated

02/20/2015 - 10:45am

Chinese New Year begins next week and all across China people are getting ready. It’s a time for visiting friends and relatives. Throughout the country, people stock up on fruit to eat at home with family and to give as gifts. These days, Chinese shoppers are opening up their wallets for a particular luxury item — imported fruit.

News reports from Qatar say ISIS, which has control over oil fields in Iraq and Syria, will run a $250 million dollar surplus next year. So how is that possible with oil prices falling through the cellar?

Death is expensive. The American casket industry is a $1.5 billion business, leading some families to seek out cheaper options from China. But the Chinese haven't been able to bury the American competition.

A rhino can cost a wildlife park more than $20,000 at auction — but its horn alone can be worth 10 times that much. Many parks and wildlife reserves are buying insurance to protect their investments, and that means an unusual requirement: poisoning the rhinos' horns to ward off poachers.

Updated

02/20/2015 - 8:15am

China's $50 billion plan for a new Central American canal connecting Atlantic and Pacific may damage the freshwater Lake Nicaragua, changing the environment for those who depend upon it. The plan faces opposition in parts of the country.

Who would see promise in a bankrupt Detroit and invest in an infamous factory abandoned 60 years ago? A Spanish developer who lost everything in 2008 and proved he could rebuild himself and a city, in Peru.

Updated

03/19/2014 - 7:15am

One of the drivers behind the Venezuelan street protests is a lack of basic consumer goods, from toilet paper to food. Now the government thinks it has a partial answer — a sort of supermarket loyalty card that it hopes will cut down on hoarding and speculation. But some critics say the idea is just creepy.

Catch a tiger by the tail — and then pop him in a crate and fly him 7,000 miles. Animal lover David Barnes raised nearly $20,000 to relocate a tiger named Phevos from a bankrupt Greek zoo to a new home at an animal sanctuary in California.

Japan's prime minister has unveiled a plan to restart the country's nuclear energy program almost three years after the Fukushima disaster. But given the country's deep divide over nuclear power, the plan is short of specifics and retains a commitment to developing renewable energy sources.

Death is expensive. The American casket industry is a $1.5 billion business, leading some families to seek out cheaper options from China. But the Chinese haven't been able to bury the American competition.

A rhino can cost a wildlife park more than $20,000 at auction — but its horn alone can be worth 10 times that much. Many parks and wildlife reserves are buying insurance to protect their investments, and that means an unusual requirement: poisoning the rhinos' horns to ward off poachers.

Who would see promise in a bankrupt Detroit and invest in an infamous factory abandoned 60 years ago? A Spanish developer who lost everything in 2008 and proved he could rebuild himself and a city, in Peru.

The number of college graduates with debt is rising quickly, and some students have had enough. A group known as the Corinthian 15 say they're going on a "debt strike," hoping to force action to cancel the debts they owe to a for-profit education company — and spur broader change.

A reforestation project in southern Madagascar is looking to rebuild the region's forests, lemur populations and even the economy. And it turns out the secret ingredient for regenerating the once-abundant landscape is lemur poop.

Updated

02/20/2015 - 8:15am

China's $50 billion plan for a new Central American canal connecting Atlantic and Pacific may damage the freshwater Lake Nicaragua, changing the environment for those who depend upon it. The plan faces opposition in parts of the country.

Catch a tiger by the tail — and then pop him in a crate and fly him 7,000 miles. Animal lover David Barnes raised nearly $20,000 to relocate a tiger named Phevos from a bankrupt Greek zoo to a new home at an animal sanctuary in California.

The US and Cuba supposedly negotiated in secret for more than a year to bring about a thaw between the two countries. They weren't the only ones, though: Pope Francis also helped the two longtime enemies conduct their back-channel diplomacy.